LAHORE: Plain areas in the Punjab were engulfed by thick fog, leading to the closing down of motorways at many locations on Saturday.

All types of traffic were barred from entering leading motorways, including M3, M2, and M5. The M3 was closed down from Jaranwala to Durkhana, M4 from Faisalabad to Abdul Hakeem, and M5 from Sher Shah to Taranda Muhammad Panah.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), thick foggy conditions would continue in plain areas for another few days, followed by the entry of westerly winds coupled with clouds to clear the atmosphere.

There has been no rain since the third week of November, resulting in dry weather across the province. The PMD sources said no rain through the month of December and the continuity of dry weather is also a record so far as the meteorological history of the province is concerned. Earlier, there was an unusual monsoon season, bringing unprecedented rains to the extreme Southern provinces of Balochistan and Sindh.

According to them, fog takes place with the cooling down of soil soon after a substantial drop in temperature. They said thick fog would continue for another five days, followed by cloudy weather that would uplift it leading to sunny days ahead.

Meanwhile, Mangla and Tarbela dams are left with 9 and 46 percent water availability at present. Water scarcity in the Mangla dam is likely to put a negative impact on the agricultural crops in Punjab, as the dam is left with only 20 days of water in the reservoir, which may be translated into agricultural drought in case there is no immediate rain.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022